This invention relates to a tube shaping apparatus which holds preferably an elongate tube and bends and shapes the tube to the desired specifications, depending upon the purpose or function for which the tube is going to be used.
When metallic tubes are formed or manufactured, they are generally straight tubes having many different cross-sectional shapes, some having square cross sections, and others having circular cross sections for example. These straight tubes are shaped and bent to form such things as elbows commonly used in the water lines in homes and even as bumpers which encircle a particular type of vehicle to protect the body of the vehicle. There are many other uses for elongate tubes which are bent anywhere along the length of the tube to produce the desired, useful shape. To bend and shape such a tube, the tube as shown by the prior art was generally placed inside of another tube or pipe and as the pipe or shaping tube was bent, the to-be-shaped tube took on the shape of the shaping tube. The prior art also describes apparatuses which hold a generally medial portion of the tube and then urges the ends of the tube in a particular direction by pushing or pulling means to get the desired bend in the tube. Further, the prior art describes bending or shaping tubes by placing a semi-softened plastic tube in a mold or die which takes on a particular bend or curvature.
One known prior art is a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BENDING PIPE, U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,859, issued on Sep. 9, 1952 and invented by F. A. Fichtmueller.
Another known prior art is an APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING SHAPED ARTICLES OF PLASTICS MATERIAL, PARTICULARLY FILLING PIPES FOR FUEL TANKS OF MOTOR VEHICLES, U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,768, issued on May 31, 1988 and invented by Giuseppe Crupi, comprises a mold having a cavity with the mold being substantially straight but capable of being deformed to effect a particular shape to the cavity which shapes the tube received in the cavity.
Another known prior art is a HAND OPERATED BENDING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR METAL BAR, TUBING AND THE LIKE, U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,7.37, issued on Aug. 11, 1981 and invented by Billy G. Maples, comprises a sweep lever arm, a forming die, and preset pivoted force link with the sweep lever arm applying force to a tube or a bar so that the tube or bar follows the shape of the die.
While there are many different ways to bend tubes or pipes, none of the prior art describes using a hydraulic-controlled engaging means to generally hold the tubes or pipes in place while a bending die is used to bend and shape the tubes or pipes.